Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Consumers should exercise caution when purchasing toys, receiving toys as gifts for children
Some toys that have been recalled for lead, powerful magnets, or other hazards can still be available for sale in online stores and might also be in your own home or the homes of your friends and family.
The Public Interest Research Group Education Fund’s 31st annual “Trouble in Toyland” report aims to help consumers be aware of potentially hazardous toys during this year’s holiday shopping season.
The report lists toys recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission from January 2015 to October 2016 with the message to consumers that these recalled toys may still be in homes. For large items such as cars, when they get recalled, owners will usually be contacted immediately through VIN numbers. However, that’s not the case with toy recalls.
“Some recalls are not well-publicized, so parents should check their house for previously recalled toys. Also, keep in mind that recalled toys may still be available online,” said Donna Bucciarelli, Beaumont Children’s trauma prevention coordinator.
For more than 30 years, the “Trouble in Toyland” report has offered safety guidelines for purchasing toys for small children. Over the years, the reports have led to more than 150 recalls and other enforcement actions.
Some of the recalled toys researchers found were still available for sale at online stores include:
- a toy glockenspiel that was recalled in February due to high levels of lead in the paint. If the paint is scraped off and ingested, lead can cause adverse health effects.
- a remote-controlled flying toy which was recalled in June. The toy’s USB charging cord can overheat, posing a hazard.
- a pencil case containing two magnets that hold the case lid closed that can detach, posing an ingestion hazard. If the magnets are swallowed, they can link together inside a child's intestines and result in serious internal injuries.
Read the full report which includes a full list of recalled toys, those found available for sale online, as well as specific information including manufacturers’ names, pictures and remedies for what consumers should do if they have the recalled toys in their homes.
It is illegal to sell a recalled product under CPSC rules. PIRG has notified the CPSC about these potentially illegal sales and have asked them to investigate these toys further and take appropriate action.
Parents and caregivers can also take steps to protect children from potential hazards. The group recommends parents:
- subscribe to email recall updates from the CPSC and other U.S. government safety agencies available at www.recalls.gov
- shop with U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s Toy Safety Tips, available at toysafetytips.org
- examine toys carefully for hazards before purchase - and don’t trust that they are safe just because they are on a store shelf; check the CPSC recall database at CPSC.gov before buying toys online
- report unsafe toys or toy-related injuries to the CPSC at saferproducts.gov
- remember, toys on our list are presented as examples of previously recalled toys only; other hazards may exist
- review the recalled toys list in this report and compare it to toys in your children’s toy boxes
- put small parts, or toys broken into small parts, out of reach; regularly check that toys appropriate for your older children are not left within reach of children who still put things in their mouths
Over the past eight years, stronger rules have helped get some of the most dangerous toys and children’s products off the market. Rules put in place by the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act tightened lead limits and phased out dangerous phthalates.